Progress Report: Two-Faced White House

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Tue, 01 Mar 2005 08:59:22 -0800

Progress Report: Two-Faced White House

" American Progress Action Fund "

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The Progress Report

by Christy Harvey, Judd Legum and Jonathan Baskin with Nico Pitney and

Mipe Okunseinde

 

www.progressreport.org

3/1/2005

 

For news and updates throughout the day, check out our new blog at

ThinkProgress.org.

 

HUMAN RIGHTS

 

The Two-Faced White House

 

The State Department released its annual report documenting human

rights abuses in countries around the globe. A total of 196 different

countries were cited in this year's report; over 70 countries had

human rights records described as " poor. " (An examination of tactics

used by the United States is not included in the annual report.) Some

were countries with chronic abuse records, such as North Korea, Syrian

and Iran. Others, like Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, are

currently among the White House's key allies. Sadly, this year's

report won't carry as much sting or influence as in years past. Many

of the tactics countries are being censured for are in use by the Bush

White House. That, unfortunately, has drastically undercut the moral

authority of the United States to compel autocratic nations to comply

with human rights standards. Here's a further look at the findings of

the report:

 

THROWING STONES FROM A GLASS HOUSE: The State Department criticized

countries for what it called " torture, " including " sleep deprivation

for detainees, confining prisoners in contorted positions, stripping

and blindfolding them and threatening them with dogs. " These are all

methods, however, which have been approved " by the Bush administration

for use on detainees in U.S. custody. " For example, in 2002, Secretary

of Defense Donald Rumsfeld signed off on stripping detainees at

Guantanamo Bay and using dogs to terrorize them. Much of the legal

framework for torture was set up in a series of memos approved by

former White House counsel – and current Attorney General – Alberto

Gonzales. (For a walk through of the memos behind the policies, read

this guide.)

 

THE DIRTY SECRET OF RENDITION: The State Department also harshly

criticized Syria and Egypt for their treatment of prisoners. The

report failed to address the fact that, to circumvent torture rules,

the White House has quietly been shipping suspects off to these

countries known for torture. The practice, known as " extraordinary

rendition, " has become a " principle weapon in the CIA's arsenal "

against prisoners. In one highly publicized example, the

administration, lacking enough evidence to detain Canadian citizen

Maher Arar, shipped him off to Syria. There, he claims he suffered 10

months of prolonged torture. In another case, the U.S. shipped

Australian citizen Mamdouh Habib off to Egypt for " questioning. " There

he claims to have undergone six months of torture. When he finally

arrived at Guantanamo Bay, he was missing most of his fingernails.

Both men were eventually found to have no connection to terrorists and

were released.

 

IRAQ HAS A LOT TO LEARN: The report cites serious abuses in the

U.S.-supported, brand-new government in Iraq. According to the State

Department, last year Iraqi police officers and government officials

committed serious human rights violations, including rape, murder,

extortion, torture and illegal detentions. (Iraq is also currently

having problems with freedom of the press: today's Washington Post

reports that after a devastating suicide bomb killed hundreds in Iraq

yesterday, Iraqi police prohibited journalists from talking to any of

the wounded at the hospital and " beat several cameramen " who tried to

enter.

 

RUSSIA'S RECORD ON RIGHTS: Russia under President Vladimir Putin has

been sliding closer and closer to a totalitarian state. President Bush

had a key opportunity in his meeting with the Russian president last

week to hold Putin accountable for his attacks on democracy. He blew

it. Putin remained silent on his transgressions, and instead of

pushing him to recommit to democratic principles in Russia, Bush

merely said the world should trust the Russian leader. The new State

Department report shows what happens when you just trust Putin to do

the right thing. Specifically, it criticized Putin's government,

saying " government pressure continued to weaken freedom of expression

in the media, that the killing of civilians in Chechnya continued

unabated, and that there are credible reports that law enforcement

personnel engaged in torture, violence, and other brutal or

humiliating treatment, often with impunity. " It also faulted Russia

for " its restriction of news media, and its allowing of political

pressure to taint the judiciary. "

 

KEY ALLIES AT FAULT: Many other countries the U.S. counts among its

friends were guilty of crimes against human rights, according to the

State Department's report. The White House has long turned a blind eye

to abuses in Saudi Arabia; the report charges abuses in the country

today " far exceed the advances. " Saudi Arabia is charged with " a lack

of legal rights, violence against women and children and

discrimination against religious minorities " as well as " torture, "

including sleep deprivation and whippings. Libya, which recently

enjoyed resumed diplomatic contact with the U.S., is charged with

chaining prisoners to walls while threatening to attack them with

dogs. (According to the Washington Post, the Libyan " menu of torture "

also included electric shock and finger-breaking.)

 

SOCIAL SECURITY

 

Systematic Scare Campaign

 

The Bush administration has launched a systematic campaign to scare

Americans into dismantling Social Security. A new report by Rep. Henry

Waxman (D-CA) – based on a review of over 4,000 pages of documents –

reveals " the Social Security Administration (SSA) has modified its

communications strategy to undermine public confidence in Social

Security. " For example, in 2000, a booklet called " The Future of

Social Security " began: " Will Social Security be there for you?

Absolutely. " Now, that language has been eliminated and the booklet

begins: " Social Security must change to meet future challenges. " A

statement sent annually to the public no longer urges workers to think

of Social Security as a " foundation on which to build your financial

future. " Instead, it reminds Americans that " Congress has made changes

to the law in the past and can do so at any time. " The report's

findings call into question the independence of the SSA, which is

supposed to be insulated from politics.

 

UNDERMINING BIPARTISAN EFFORTS TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY: In

1994, after a unanimous vote in both houses of Congress, President

Clinton made the SSA an independent entity – separate from any federal

department – precisely to avoid the kind of political manipulation

taking place today. On 8/11/94 on the House floor, former Congressman

Jim Bunning (R-KY) said, " I rise enthusiastically in support of (the

independence legislation) and urge my colleagues to join me in once

again approving this monumental piece of legislation to restore

independence to the Social Security Administration. " Former Sen. Bob

Packwood (R-OR) said, " An independent Social Security Administration

is the first step in restoring public confidence in America's social

security system. " He was right. That's why the Bush administration

realized the first step to undermining public confidence in Social

Security was ignoring the law and politicizing the agency.

 

MISLEADING THE PUBLIC ABOUT MISLEADING THE PUBLIC: The report

documents that as the " estimates of Social Security's long-term

solvency have improved over the last four years, the Social Security

Administration rhetoric has moved in the opposite direction. " For

example, in 2001, when the Social Security trustees predicted the

trust fund would be sufficient to provide full benefits until 2038,

the SSA released this straightforward press release: " The Social

Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the

long-term financial health of the Social Security Trust Funds. The

2001 Trustees Report projects that the Social Security program will

remain solvent until 2038 — one year later than reported last year. "

In 2003, the trustees estimated the trust fund would be able to pay

full benefits for four years longer, until 2042. Here's how the SSA

billed it: " The Social Security Board of Trustees today declared that

the Social Security program is not sustainable over the long term. The

2003 Social Security Trustees report does extend the projected

solvency of the funds by one year [as compared to 2002]. " Despite

overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Jo Anne Barnhart, who President

Bush appointed to head the SSA, claims " the messages we use to inform

the public have been consistent through the last decade. "

 

TAXPAYERS PONY UP FOR ANOTHER WAR: The Social Security Administration

isn't the only government agency misusing taxpayer dollars to advance

the administration's Social Security privatization scheme. The

Treasury Department has " announced the formation of a Social Security

'war room' and the hiring of three full-time employees to help

coordinate and refine the administration's message on the issue. " The

war room will " track lawmakers' remarks to their local news outlets,

to help the White House detect signs of Republican concern or

Democratic compromise. " (Note to administration: this information is

available for free on talkingpointsmemo.com.)

 

UNDER THE RADAR

 

JUDICIARY – ADMINISTRATION LOSES ENEMY COMBATANT CASE: A federal

district judge in South Carolina ruled yesterday that President Bush

had greatly overstepped his authority by detaining an American citizen

as an enemy combatant for nearly three years without filing criminal

charges, the New York Times reports. The Justice Department was

ordered to charge the enemy combatant, Jose Padilla, with a crime or

release him within 45 days. To keep him locked up without charges

" would not only offend the rule of law and violate this country's

constitutional tradition, " the judge wrote, " but it would also be a

betrayal of this nation's commitment to the separation of powers that

safeguards our democratic values and individual liberties. " The

Padilla decision reflected a similar Supreme Court ruling last June

regarding another American citizen, Yaser Esam Hamdi, who had been

classified as an enemy combatant. Administration officials " surprised

many people by simply releasing him to Saudi Arabia rather than filing

criminal charges even though it had deemed him so dangerous he was

held incommunicado for more than two years. "

 

WORLD BANK – WOLFOWITZ FOR PRESIDENT: The Financial Times reports that

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a prime architect of the war

on Iraq, has emerged as a leading candidate to head the World Bank.

The Times notes Wolfowitz would be a " highly controversial " choice for

the position, in no small part due to his flagrant misjudgments and

extreme positions over the last several years. Wolfowitz has been

criticized for pressuring intelligence agencies to produce false links

between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, attacking Gen. Shinseki's troop

estimates as " wildly off the mark, " holding up funds for Iraq

reconstruction, and reportedly approving the harsh interrogation

methods that led to abuse and torture in U.S. prisons. Current bank

President James Wolfensohn, appointed twice by President Clinton, was

known for " bully[ing] the bank's staff and board into changing the

bank's focus toward a greater emphasis on alleviating poverty " ; last

month, the Washington Post described Wolfensohn as " eager to stay on

well past June, when his term expires, but increasingly resigned to

the prospect that the Bush team would prefer to replace him with

someone else. "

 

MEDIA – COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO SHILL: Arnold Schwarzenegger is

starring in another horrible sequel, though this one is

straight-to-T.V. The Los Angeles Times reports that California Gov.

Schwarzenegger's administration used taxpayer dollars to produce a

" mock news story " that pushes a government-backed,

corporation-friendly proposal that would kill mandatory lunch hours.

The report comes days after the Government Accountability Office

sharply warned federal agencies against producing similar propaganda

videos, which the Bush administration was caught doing twice in the

last two years. Eighteen stations ran the Schwarzenegger spots as news

reports, complete with a positive promo text for the local anchors

which read: " If approved, the changes would clear up uncertainty in

the business community and create a better working environment

throughout the state. " Never mentioned was the fact that organized

labor opposes the rule change, nor that the proposal is backed by the

California Restaurant Assn., " which donated $21,000 to one of

Schwarzenegger's campaign funds last year and provided food for his

2003 inauguration. "

 

CANADA – GIVING THE COLD SHOULDER TO OUR FRIENDS UP NORTH: Last week,

when asked to predict what the diplomatic atmosphere would be if

Canada were to choose not to participate in the controversial missile

defense system, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher avoided any

real answer. In a declaration of its sovereignty, Canada has

officially opted out of participation in the program, and the State

Department's answer is now loud and clear. According to a Bush

administration official, displeasure with the Canadian decision has

prompted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to defer plans to visit

Canada, though the trip was supposed to be a priority for the spring,

with no new date set. At the behest of Canadian officials, Rice will

be squeezing in a brief meeting with them during her trip to London.

No word on how President Bush sees this diplomatic cold shoulder

fitting into his inauguration goal of " help[ing] others find their own

voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way. "

 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT – FINING FREE SPEECH AWAY: In laying out his agenda

for the Justice Department, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales declared

the aggressive prosecution of obscenity cases as one of his top

priorities and stated " obscene materials are not protected by the

First Amendment. " Similar to his predecessor John Ashcroft – under his

purview, the DOJ spent thousands of dollars to cover up Justice –

Gonzales is determined to impose a moral cleansing that has left

people questioning the government rather than the so-called violators.

In response to the Bush administration-backed House measure approving

a significant increase in the maximum FCC fine to $500,000, Rep.

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that the real victims of such legislation

were " free expression and First Amendment rights, " declaring that

passage of the bill would " make America a less free society. " If the

bill passes, in comparison to the fines levied by other agencies,

" Bono saying 'f-ing brilliant' on the air would carry the exact same

penalty as illegally testing pesticides on human subjects. "

 

GOOD NEWS

 

A federal judge ordered the Bush administration to charge U.S. citizen

Jose Padilla with a crime or release him. Padilla has been detained

for 2 1/2 years without being charged.

 

DON'T MISS

 

DAILY TALKING POINTS: Moral authority on human rights diminished.

 

BANKRUPTCY: EJ Dionne looks at the sucker punch behind a bankruptcy

bill that's " bankrupt of pity. "

 

ETHICS: Investigation into shady dealings by conservative lobbyist

Jack Abramoff branches into group founded by Secretary of the Interior

Gayle Norton.

 

MILITARY: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution charges the current lack of

medical treatment for U.S. troops " can't be tolerated. "

 

ENVIRONMENT: John Podesta and John Monks on combating the global

mercury problem.

 

 

 

DAILY GRILL

 

" The messages we use to inform the public have been consistent through

the last decade. "

 

- Jo Anne Barnhart, commissioner of Social Security, 2/4/05

 

VERSUS

 

" 'The Future of Social Security' booklet – which used to begin: 'Will

Social Security be there for you? Absolutely' – now begins: 'Social

Security must change.' "

 

- Waxman Report, 2/28/05

 

 

 

DAILY OUTRAGE

 

Further proof Ann Coulter can feel no shame: In her offensive defense

of fake reporter Jeff Gannon, Coulter wrote, " Press passes can't be

that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen

Thomas to sit within yards of the president. " Ethnic slurs aside, the

venerable Thomas – who is of Lebanese descent – has been a pioneer for

women in journalism. She has been a reporter for nearly 60 years, and

has covered every president since John F. Kennedy.

 

© Copyright 2005 by American Progress Action Fund. All rights reserved.